Fantastic Farm Dogs Pictures
and Photos

Farm dogs pictures capture first hand those loyal pets, alert guard dogs, and hard working sheep dogs that have their own special niche in country living.

Hi! My name is Maria. This page is a photo gallery collection of fantastic country photos for your enjoyment. Fantastic pictures capture a magical moments in time, and that's what you'll discover here at Fantastic Farm and Country! 

Click here to show and tell your own country photos! Or share your farm dog with us by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

A Dog's Life

The popularity of designer dog breeds and purebreds has been waning recently, as more people think back fondly to their childhood pets. They have pictures of working farm and country dogs in their minds - loving, loyal pets that weren't too fussy or delicate.

Lovin' the Country
An English Springer Spaniel runs through the long grass carrying a stick he's just retrieved in his mouth.

©Jeff Dalton/Shutterstock

Does every farm have a faithful "Old Shep" or perhaps the ever memorable and beloved Lassie?

But how accurate are those pictures, compared to the real thing? Here's a little bit of what you need to know about training and living with a real, live dog. These animals can be fantastic pets and helpers, but you have to know what you're doing! Let's take a look.

Dreamy Summer
A handsome Labrador Retriever relaxes amongst the grass and flowers on
a peaceful summer day.

©Tina Rencelj /Shutterstock

Pictures Of Farm Life

A good dog for farmlife is friendly, loyal to its owners, and fiercely defensive of its home. Unfortunately, many dogs also have a habit of chasing animals, harrassing the farm cats, dragging in unpleasant "found objects" from all corners of the property, and getting into mischief. They're also famous for bringing nature home - in the form of mud, smells, and briars.

Farm Friends
Arab horses gallop through the pasture with a happy-go-lucky doggy friend.

©Petr Mašek/Shutterstock

The good news is that if you take the time to train your dog carefully, and rearrange your lifestyle a little, you'll have much better results - even if you don't live on a farm.

Full Time Employee

The role of the farming dog varies, depending on type of farm or area of the country where they live. The dog may just be a companion for the kids in their outdoor adventures. Or maybe a watch dog to keep an eye out for strangers that wander by, alert the family to an approaching vehicle, and protect farm animals from predators.

Outdoors Delight
This Labrador Retriever stops for a moment to pose for a portrait
in the joyous countryside scenery.

©Adam Stepien/Shutterstock

Some dog breeds have herding instincts that are invaluable to farmers and ranchers. They make excellent sheepherders when trained. But it's not only sheep that they'll guard. Herding dogs can be trained to take care of just about any domestic farm animal, such as bringing in the cows at night. Or they'll herd geese and ducks used for weed control.

Best Breeds

Choosing the best dog for the farm depends a lot on the job you need him to do. Most dogs for farms are mixed breed, so you'll need to think about the different breeds that went into your pet. A Golden Retriever/Labrador retriever mix will have a much different set of behaviors than a pooch that's mostly border collie like Lassie.

Golden Times
Here's an agricultural scene of a Golden Retriever gazing across a farm's ripe wheat field ready for harvest.

©Petr Jilek/Shutterstock

Some popular breeds for working dogs are: Australian shepherd, Great Pyrenees, Border Collie, Coonhound, Golden Retriever, and Labrador Retriever.

Did you know? You can add your photos to this site! Just use the photo sharing form below.

Pet Care Essentials

If you've only ever seen photos of farm dogs, you probably don't know all that much about them, and could be in for some unpleasant surprises. Country dogs need a lot more attention than indoor pets, from more careful vet care to strict obedience training.

Rural Dog
A farm dog sits by the side of a fence post in the countryside.

©Joanne Harris and Daniel Bubnich /Shutterstock

Photos of farm dogs may look great, but they don't tell you much about the dogs themselves. So, enjoy looking through all those lovely dog images, but don't assume they can tell you everything you need to know.

Your pet is going to need a vet exam at least once a year, including vaccinations and preventative treatments for all kinds of parasites. He or she should also have an extremely high quality diet - most farm and family dogs are pretty active, and need the energy that comes from good dog food.

Winter Wonderland
A man and his dog in snow take a country walk in the white winter landscape.

©Paul Maguire/Shutterstock

Provide fresh clean water and an outdoor shelter, as well as the ability to come indoors. Sometimes your dog needs a place to sleep when you aren't around to let him or her in, or when your pet is too muddy or wet to come inside. An outdoor doghouse maybe perfect, if you can't just send him to the barn for the night.

Every dog needs to have a license, ID tag, and a chip, in case the other identification gets lost. Allow your dog to get plenty of exercise roaming around your property, but don't do it without supervising your pet, since even the best run farm still has dangers.

Funny Farm Dog
A Jack Russell sits humorously in a tractor seat, paws on the steering wheel!

©Shawn Hine/Shutterstock

Training Is Important

Give your dog firm, basic obedience training from puppyhood to help make your country dog more manageable, and safer. A dog that won't obey could end up in all kinds of bad situations, and may be a problem around the kids and chickens. Be sure to provide love and plenty of attention, too.

You'll have to do a little research to find out just what your dog needs. After all, a sheep dog will have some instincts that an English farm dog won't. The best dog for country living is one that's happy to work and capable of satisfying its instincts.

If you take the time to learn about your dog and how to treat a dog on a farm, you'll enjoy many years of loving devotion.

In the Country
A happy Bernese Mountain dog running along a fenced pasture.

©vahamrick/Shutterstock

Hey! Do YOU Have a Farm Dog Picture to Add?

Get over here and listen to this! Absolutely every dog is incredibly unique. Can you imagine your very own picture featured here, on this website? Just think, we're absolutely dying to see yours!

Do you love to show off your favorite photos? Want to share with other country folks? Are you ready to join the fun? Don't miss out! Get started now!

Click on the links below to see fantastic pictures from contributing photographers:

Fantastic Free Farm Dog Photos

Looking for free pictures of dogs for personal or commercial use? The above stock images are copyrighted and you'll need to purchase a royalty-free license at Istockphoto or Shutterstock if you want to use them.

However, here are some great pictures from Flickr that are available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Use them for your projects, screensavers, or desktop wallpaper as long as you give credit to the photographer.

Coming soon...

Add Yours Here!

I love sharing country photos, and I love seeing photos from other country folks.  Now YOU too can join the fun!  Click here to add your farm dog photos

Maybe you don't have one right now? Guess what! You can still participate! Click here to show and tell your own country photo.

PS. Now that you are at the end of this webpage, you are just minutes away from seeing your own photo featured here. You do want to add your photo, don't you? Do it now while you're thinking about it!

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